Battlefront
by ScalyLord25
Summary: Story slightly dates the pre-Reach and other work in progress story. Usze is a renegade Sangheili who is opposed to the covenant leadership, after being on the run for so many years and being branded a heretic he has come to help the humans when he can. His crew having to abandon him however under almost impossible odds, now it is up to Anna to look after him and his stranded crew
1. Chapter 1

"Bring us around, slowly..." I spoke quietly, an alarm sounded out from the nearby consoles, quickly silenced as Fal spoke, "more human ships coming in". The screen was lit as the slip space ruptures formed, a cruiser with a cluster of 2 of heavy cruisers exited on the far side of the planet. I doubled back towards the command console and brought up the area in more detail. small dots flew from the side of the ships as they slowed and steadied themselves in space to start a holding pattern.

"looks like they were expecting a battle" I spoke quietly as I observed them. "Or the where expecting something here..." Diga spoke quietly. We had destroyed one of their probes. "Think it alerted them?" I asked quietly. "Even if that probe did identify us. Why send such a fleet for one ship?" he responded, his eyes scanning the consoles screens in front of him. "Think they followed us from the last human ship then?" Fal replied, there was a small "hmm…" in response. "They could have picked up on our EM trail" Diga spoke after a few moments.

"Either way they are here now, stay sharp" I spoke, finally silencing the two of them. Minutes passed by as the ships drifted across the screen, "their deploying troops to the surface" Diga spoke up and I walked over. Looking over his shoulder at the screen as it showed the area of the planet they had entered. I moved over to Fal next, "get us in low around this moon's surface, pull power from what systems you can and keep us dark". I spoke quietly. We should have left immediately and I knew that. I could not help but wonder what they were after, or even if they were after anything at all and just passing through, as unlikely as that was. An idea struck me, "Fal, think you could tap into their communications?" I asked suddenly, the sangheili's mandibles tightened before he tilted his head a little, a version of a grimace. "I could try, been ages since I last even ran a simulation but I would have to be rather close to do that" He spoke finally and I couldn't help but smile a little.

"You think this is going to work?" He paused as I helped the engineering Sangheili finish closing the circuitry behind a small access panel and locked it. "it looks like some bit of wreckage welded to a transmitter with a human rocket attached to it" he added as I pulled the straps tighter and gave a small push, the wreckage and scrap didn't move much. "That's exactly the point, the more they think its trash the less likely they are to be alerted to us, plus we may be able to tap into their transmissions with your help" I spoke, pausing as a number of us helped move the pile of trash towards a Type-31 Seraph Fighter ready and waiting for its payload. Using its gravity lifts usually used for bombing runs the Seraph fighter took the load with a small sway and its pilot took over to launch it in the general direction and break off to let it drift over towards the human ships.

I watched as it flew slowly out of the hanger and past the energy barrier, "I hope this is worth staying, for your sake" Kan spoke beside me. His distaste for anything to do with me showed, at least some of them were vocal about their distaste. Many kept to themselves about it however, I pulled myself from my thoughts and pushed forward back towards the ship's bridge.

"Anything?" I asked quietly over the silence that had adorned us for many hours. It was well past retiring time but I dare not leave the bridge unless the situation escalated. "The two ships, Unyielding Dragon and the Hercules have deployed craft to the surface, but both are rather..." He paused as more of the transmissions came through. The console chimed as I brought up what he was seeing. On the far side of the planet slip-space, ruptures rang out as two ships, "two ships coming in, IFF shows.." He paused, "covenant" I growled and I could feel my anger bubble slightly. "the human ships are engaging and are moving around the planet" he spoke finally, one heavy cruiser and a frigate against two CAS-Class Assault Carriers, the odds weren't good. Even if we helped. "Bring us around, heading zero three zero by zero zero three, full impulse" I ordered and the ship spun into action. "Setting action stations" spoke a major who was new to the deck, we had only done this once before he had joined us. "bringing weapons online" Fal spoke from beside me and the ship lurched into action. "Fire when ready at the covenant ships, this is going to be a hit and run" I spoke across the deck so everyone knew the plan, we had done it many times in the past but every time it came with high risks to everyone on the ship if it went wrong, this time I hoped we could buy enough time for the humans to jump away or finish them off.

Plasma lurched from the ships front and large plasma torpedoes rushed out across space. I swiped at the holo screens in front of me, spreading the battlefield out and I looked left towards the human ships, its archer pods launching as they flew through towards the covenant ships, a smaller group heading towards our ship and I tapped our comms system, opening a channel through towards the ships. "This is shipmaster Usze, UNSC ships Unyielding Dragon and Hercules, hold your fire. We are moving to assist" I spoke and cut the communication seconds before Diga spoke up, "human fighter aircraft incoming".

"Split them up, plasma beams" I spoke and watched the battlefield, our ship passing at speed past the two UNSC ships as they fired a volley of plasma towards their targets. The ship shook slightly as two plasma torpedoes impacted the ship's shields and they flared around us. "Shields at 87%" Fal spoke as we hurtled towards the two covenant ships at speed. Plasma launching towards us more aggressively now. "Shift shields accordingly as we pass, prep banks 8 through 32 starboard plasma torpedoes" I ordered. Our ship passed by the two covenant cruisers and I watched as both our shields and theirs flared as multiple impacts rang out. "Human ships charging their MAC" Diga spoke and I quickly brought up the battlefield and placed it onto the view screen. Energy flaring around the human ship's cannon and spun seconds before the round flew out and streaked towards our closest covenant ship, the impact was met with a large flaring of the ship's shields. I looked back as two of our plasma torpedoes impacted the covenant ships shields and they sparkled and crackled as they failed. Explosions ringing out as the human ships followed the MAC round up with a barrage of archer missiles that had effectually disabled the top half of their plasma weapons systems, rendering them ineffective where they were placed at the moment.

"Another MAC round" Fal spoke and I watched as it impacted the second covenant carrier as it came into view. "Power the cleansing beam and bring us around for another pass" I spoke and the ship. It left us vulnerable on our underbelly but with the power required it would finish them quickly and I looked over when another chime rang out. Quickly switching to his screen I saw why. Archer missiles rang out as the human ships closed in and fired upon the weakened covenant ship. Plasma streaking from its remaining weapons as the Sangheili who commanded it valiantly tried to damage the human ships as much as it could. With another MAC round from the Unyielding Dragon explosions ran down its middle as the round went straight through the ship and out its aft lower engine, the human ship breaking off as it moved to make another pass around beside us.

Our ship spun around in a wide arc behind the remaining ship, "shields 68% and holding" Diga spoke up as we came around and lined up for another pass over the last of the remaining covenant ships. "The human ship Hercules has been disabled" Fal spoke suddenly and I glanced at the view of the ship as more plasma impacted it when suddenly an explosion ripped through its hull from the stern as objects launched from its sides. I silently felt a small pang of sadness touch me as I looked on, what I guessed where lifeboats were engulfed in flames and I forced myself to look away as anger bubbled at my insides.

The ship's systems dimmed as the cleansing system came up to power, the view screen changing as I moved forward to the console that raised from the floor. Usually reserved for the prophets use i inputted my authorisation code as the power shifted. The covenant ship looming below us as plasma rang out towards us and Diga and Fal shifted from their consoles to join me. I almost didn't hesitate as I pressed my full palm to the palm scanner, Diga and Fal following suit seconds later. The system required the full bridge's input to activate and the beam spun up in a spiral, the seconds ticked by as in only a few moments the beam lashed out from our underbelly and towards the covenant ship. Watching as its energy shields flared with strain before collapsing as the plasma tore through the ship's hull. Explosions ringing out as I pulled my hand away. A ship for a ship.

"Prep all stations for slip-space and seal damage areas" I spoke as I turned to look at the battlefield, my eyes turning to the human ship as it came around from its turn and came towards us. "The human ship is charging its MAC cannon again, their aiming for us!" Fal spoke suddenly. My mandibles gaped for a few moments. "Shift shields and evade! Now!" I growled. "Already got it!" Diga spoke as he shifted nervously. "All hands brace for impact!" Spoke the major behind me and the bridge was quiet as we all seemed to hold our breath, the ship lurching underneath the first of the destroyed covenant ship as we passed. Plasma impacting the top of the ship and I grimaced at the damage seconds before the ship was shaken suddenly and we all lurched to the side slightly. "Shields are 11% and barely holding" the major spoke behind me and I grimaced. "another round and we're gone" Diga spoke up. "Shift non-essential power to the slip space drive and let's get out of here" I spoke, I knew it would take a few seconds to power up and by the look Diga and Fal where giving me they knew that too. Our shields would not last that long.

"What the hell is going on?!" Spoke the sudden and angry voice of Anna and I gasped as I quickly spun towards her, Shifting the power about had unlocked many of the doors and reset systems. Likely my quarter's door was one of them affected. An idea struck me suddenly, "Diga, open a comms line to the human ship" I spoke towards him and turned to anna for a moment, "humans ships have almost taken down our shields" I spoke quietly to her as I moved around towards the view screen.


	2. Chapter 2

I turned as Diga opened the comms channel and spoke, "this is shipmaster Usze Vontakee of the Cleansing Faith, we have human survivors aboard, cease all hostilities immediately and we will return these men to your ship without harm" I spoke with my back arched straight and proud, if not a little fearful for everyone around me. I looked and Diga gave me a look that shone relief, they had powered down their MAC cannon, or at the very least held their fire. My eyes turned to the screen as I surveyed the human soldiers in front of the screen on the human ship. "Humans, I offer to send these captured soldiers if you do not fire another round at us" I spoke simply to the human's commander who turned towards us. "What assurances do we have these men won't be dead, you just took out an entire squadron of fighters" the human's commander spoke.

"Forgive me if I was not clear enough with my message previously, but I will not hesitate to defend my ship if the need arises" I growled, folding my arms across my chest as anger bubbled in my chest softly. "Fal, transmit images from our ship of the soldiers to them and ready them for transfer" I ordered, Diga across from him giving a silent nod to me letting me know the slip-space drive was ready and I glanced back to see our shields were starting to recover.

Looking back up to the commander of the human ship I spoke up again, "we are sending a phantom over, now… I need your word that my men won't be harmed as well" I slightly gritted my teeth. It was like playing a game of chicken, except in this case these were lives I was dealing with and they where the fox I was not sure what they would do after they got the men. "Fine, we will wait to see these soldiers. Hutson out" with that he cut the connection and I glanced to Anna. This was the first encounter with a live human ship that had not been destroyed or broken in some way and by her expression, i couldn't deny she looked hopeful as well to return to her own kind. "Alert me immediately if they do anything stupid, you two have the bridge" I spoke to Fal and Diga and gestured for Anna to follow me and we made our way down to the hanger bay.

The human soldiers were there as well and looked a bit confused as they all looked around, "marines" I spoke at first gaining their attention and a few of the crew turned towards us as well from prepping the phantom. "By now you might have guessed why you are here" I spoke gesturing to the human ship in the distance through the hangers shields as well as the planet below. "The Unyielding Dragon has allowed us to send you all over via phantom, there I will imagine you will be interviewed and asked to provide a report of what you have seen and done here before most likely being returned to earth or reassigned. Any questions you are free to ask now before you all depart". It seemed there were none and I opened my mouth to speak again when I a voice spoke up, "What if you want to stay here?".

The question completely floored me for a moment, "then we would have to find you something appropriate to do, are there any others who wish to stay?" I spoke up, glancing over the group of them, the marine who had spoken up first seeming to be a bit sheepish as he got looks from the others. "Is that all?" I asked finally, with another two takers who stepped forward. I gestured for the others around to continue on and I watched them move into the phantom and the shields shimmered a little as they dropped to let the phantom pass through. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when alarms sounded out throughout the hanger, my eyes peering past the phantom. A large covenant ship came out of cloaking directly between us and the human ship. "Shipmaster, a covenant ship just came out of cloak-" Fal spoke quickly over the com. "I know! I'm coming up now!" I spoke back quickly. "Incoming!" Shouted a Sangheili and I looked again as plasma rounds twinkled and showed up brightly from the ships hull, by their directory I guessed they were heading straight for the hanger bay, "everyone get out of here! Now! Now! Now! Go!" I shouted out and everyone dropped what they were doing to run for the exits. Or for those of us that were close enough grabbed whatever they could, ran for the phantom to follow me. Two other Sangheili followed me inside, humans following us as they ran too. I looked back momentarily as a few Sangheili made it to the exits, the phantoms doors closing as I rushed for the controls and slammed the close button. "Get out of there, Usze!" shouted Fal. I was too busy as instinct kicked in and the phantom lifted up off the ground, I wasn't even sure if the phantoms hull would hold as the round hit the hanger seconds after the phantom sealed. Throwing us all to the side as an explosion and decompression ripped through the hanger bay.

The phantom was engulfed in flame for a moment as we were thrown back with the first blast wave and the entire phantom shook as we impacted one of the hangers main walls with enough force to almost make it cave in. Warnings and alarms sounded around me and the craft was shaken again as it showed the hull had sustained damage and our ships decompression took over as we were thrust like a spinning top out of the hanger. The engines whirring loudly and groaning from the strain as I tried to correct our spin, debris tinkled against the outer hull and I groaned and roared with the struggling craft narrowly missing a section that would have destroyed us. "I lost his signal! Usze! gods dammit!" Fal's voice spoke out over the comms, other bits and pieces floated around us as I pulled the craft around, hands almost white as shudders worked their way through the ship around us and I glanced over to one of the phantoms status display, it didn't take me a moment to realise our engines had been damaged. thrusters struggling with the abnormal forces at work. "Everyone ok back there!?" I shouted over my shoulder. the explosion had shaken a lot of them all over the place. "Phantom heading for planets surface if you can hear us we are prepping slip-space drives. you have 1 unit to get out of the danger zone. We are coming back later for rescue, stay alive down there" Diga's voice spoke over the phantoms comms.

"Rok' take the second console, I need you to do a pinpoint jump for us, aim for anything you can on the surface" I spoke up over my shoulder. "Are you crazy?! with the phantom in this much of a stake we'll barely make atmosphere!" his voice spoke up and I growled. "I've punched it as far as we can go if you don't make that jump in about 30 seconds we're gonna all be dead a lot faster!" I roared back to him, fighting with the straitened craft as I tried to keep it heading in the same direction. "Everyone brace up back there" I spoke up as I flicked a console to extend the ships troop braces, at the very least it would keep them upright and with my luck, i hoped they would survive. "Ok, I got it! spinning up slip-space drive now" for a moment, fear lanced through my form. Anna was with me too, if anything happened to her… The engines flickered on our underbelly as Rok started counting down and I felt us drift dangerously low in our approach path but I fought it enough to raise up again into the safe zone, The Cleansing Faith's shields flaring as the slip-space portal began to open and she prepared to jump. …5…4…3… 2…1…

The phantom shook violently and for a sheer moment everything was silent as we jumped, it wasn't long enough though as our bodies were thrust forward again, we had broken atmosphere but that wasn't the only thing that had broken. With a final whirl our main grav engine whirred down to a stop and I could feel us falling as real gravity kicked in. Below laid an abundance of a large expanse of forest that stretched as far as the eye could see with beyond a large expanse of sea and I could see sand, screens around me flickered and I felt sparks around me as their main views cut out, the only remaining gravity engine would slow our decent but it was still far above what was ever considered safe. "I'm giving all power to the remaining grav engines and preparing a burst!" Rok spoke up from behind and beside me through the troop bay. I burst to lift us up was all we could do, if timed right it could take out the worst of the free-fall but I had no control of the burst from here, that was all from the second console. my eyes still glued to the only remaining screen guiding me in, "You need to get yourself to a brace too!" I spoke up as I struggled with the craft, using what little power we had left to keep us from tipping and falling faster to our inevitable deaths. "if I don't do this it's gonna be a lot worse for everyone here shipmaster including you, now shut up and let me do my duty!" I wanted to growl to Rok, I wanted to scream at him but I couldn't. the ground came up fast as we cleared the clouds, the beach seemed so far away but it was what I had aimed for. "Rok! I'm going to put us down on that beach ahead, when i say I need you to shift all power to the left grav engine and burst when you can" I could see the ground coming up fast now and I readied myself for the manoeuvre. "ready! everyone brace for impact!" his voice spoke up as we came down. the engines roaring and cutting out in the final moments as I shifted the sticks around and we hit. The last thing I could remember was the sound of my own scream as we clipped the edge of the trees and tumbled down into the sand, my head impacting the phantoms side as all went black.


End file.
